The present invention relates generally to a flail mower attachment for skid steer vehicles. In particular, the present invention is a hydraulically powered flail mower that may be readily attached to the front of the skid loader vehicle and detached therefrom as desired.
Skid steer vehicles are compact, highly maneuverable vehicles which are maneuvered by an operator seated within an operator compartment by actuating a pair of steering levers, typically positioned to the left and right sides of the operator. The left lever controls the rotation of the pair of wheels on the left side of the skid loader vehicle and the right lever controls the rotation of the pair of wheels on the right side of the skid loader vehicle. The extent to which each lever is pushed in the forward direction controls the forward speed at which the wheels on that side of the vehicle rotates. Similarly, the extent to which the lever is pulled in a reverse direction controls the speed at which the wheels on that side of the vehicle are rotated in a reverse direction. When a lever is in the centered neutral position, the wheels on the associated side do not rotate. The levers are typically biased to the neutral position.
Steering is accomplished by the differential speeds of the two wheels on one side of the vehicle as compared to the two wheels on the other side of the vehicle. Typically, two of the wheels are rotating and two are skidding or rotating in the opposite direction in order to effect a vehicle turn around the skidding wheels or reversing wheels. This type of steering substantially digs up the soil on which the skid steer vehicle is operating. The use of skid steer vehicles is usually limited to areas in which such disturbance of the soil is not a concern, such as roadbeds and construction sites. Use of skid steer vehicles on lawns and other decorative turf is generally avoided.
Attachments such as an auger, a grapple, sweeper, landscape rake, snowblower or backhoe, some of which may include their own hydraulic motor, are sometimes mounted to a boom assembly on the front of the skid steer loader. An auxiliary hydraulic system is used to control the flow of hydraulic fluid between the skid steer vehicle auxiliary hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor on the front mounted attachment and is used to actuate hydraulic cylinders that position the front mounted attachments. Attachments such as scarifiers or stabilizers are sometimes mounted to the rear of the loader and may be positioned by the use of hydraulic cylinders actuated by means of the auxiliary hydraulic system.
A rotary mower has been shown adapted for use with a skid steer vehicle as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,117. This type of adaption has not been fully satisfactory. In order to get a 60 inch cut, which is seen to be the minimal cut that is considered desirable, the dimension of the mower housing must be at least 72 inches in width and length. As depicted in FIG. 2 of the '117 patent, the great length of the rotary mower housing projects a great distance in front of the skid steer vehicle. Such rotary mowers weigh as much as fifteen hundred pounds. Such weight greatly destabilizes the very short wheelbase skid steer vehicle when the rotary mower is raised, as depicted in FIG. 2 of the '117 patent.
Additionally, rotary mowers are known to present serious missile hazards to personnel as a result of the very high tip speeds and the substantial mass of the rotating blades. Rocks and other debris will carry substantial distances at high velocity, propelled by a blade tip, thus necessitating an automatic cutoff as disclosed in the '117 patent. Even with a cutoff, the inertia of the rotating blades will cause them to continue to rotate at relatively high rotational speeds for as much as a minute, even after the flow of hydraulic fluid is cut off, unless the blades are actively braked. The blades continue to pose a hazard even after hydraulic flow cutoff.
There is a need to mow vegetation in an overgrown area where construction is going to be performed prior to commencement of the construction operations. In the past, special mowers and tractors were brought in to the site to mow the vegetation prior to commencement of the construction operations. This entails the expense and inconvenience of bringing in special equipment to perform a single preparatory mowing operation. If, during the construction operations, a second mowing was needed, the special equipment would have to be returned. Skid steer vehicles typically remain at the construction site to perform a variety of tasks using different attachments for the duration of construction operations.
It would be a decided advantage in the industry if the additional operation and expense in site preparation associated with bringing in special mowing equipment could be avoided. The mowing that is performed at the site should be the safest operation possible. Additionally, the mower should be readily available at the site to perform subsequent mowing operations as needed after the initial mowing operations.